


Windows

by timahina



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-13 13:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11186511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timahina/pseuds/timahina
Summary: She was always looking out the window...





	Windows

He wanted to give her a surprise. A certain melancholy look had overtaken Ruri within the past few days. At first, Reiji had thought she found herself in a mood. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Maybe she recalled a memory and the nostalgia was too much to take. If that were the case, it was better to leave or alone.

Or so he thought.

It continued on for another day, then two.

Three days now and Reiji was uncertain if this was normal for her. He started to make a mental list of her behaviors. She got up late, early mornings were not something she was particularly keen for. She was prone to cooking. It was always cooking, the aromas filling the floor and it was always something different.

Ruri told him before she was grateful since now with a variety of spices of food, she could actually eat something else than some sort of soupy concoction.

If it wasn’t cooking, it was her hair. Ruri always meddled with her hair.

“Perhaps you should get it cut.”

“Perhaps you should get contacts.”

“… I don’t like contacts.”

“Well, I don’t like short hair.”

It got a chuckle out of him and he didn’t bother her again about it. The meticulous care that went into it and how focused she was, the way her face would scrunch up from frustration with either knots or it just not staying in place. Reiji find it a bit… calming to watch her style her hair.

But the one thing he noticed was the time she spent by the window. Considering they were in the main LDS with secluded floors, they couldn’t very well open the window. No, instead she sat by it and stared. Whenever this melancholy took over, that’s where she spent her time. Not filling the floor with aroma or taming her hair but rather just… staring, longing in her eyes.

Reiji wanted to ask what she was looking at. First time he found her doing this, she was looking at toward the stadium and he thought she missed dueling and official matches. He set up her duel disk so she could watch them, thinking that was the end of it.

The next time, Ruri stared toward the city – the main center of her attention was the park – full of fields. Reiji then got her a couple of potted plants, something to keep her occupied.

But it was funny, a bit ridiculous each time she stared out and he got her something to placate her. The look in her eyes grew more distant and he became worried – had he gotten her the wrong thing? Was this not what she wanted? Had he not fixed whatever longing and sadness she had?

Each time she went to the window, he watched.

Until one day, he realized. There was nothing she was looking at. Just the outside.

She wanted to go _out_. And there he was, trapping her like a bird to a tiny cage. Birds did better when they could spread their wings and roam free. They would… ultimately return.

“Ruri.” Reiji spoke softly, laying his hand on her shoulder. She turned from her spot, her eyes still distant. Her whole body rang with resignation. “I uh… I have something to do in town today.”

She sighed, this wasn’t the first time he told her this. It was often followed by a warning that he would be gone till later that night. ‘Don’t wait up for me’ was a phrase he said often.

“I’ll see you la-”

“Actually,” he swiftly interrupted her, “I thought that maybe… maybe you’d like to join me today.” The expression on her face changed. Why did she look confused? Did she not want to go out?

Fuck.

Reiji looked away, slightly embarrassed now by his offer. “You’ve been here a while and I thought, perhaps I’ve approached this completely the wrong way. If you like, I could take out so you can look for your own ingredients or some other chores. Or maybe you’d care to go to the park or see a match or-” It was some point during rambling, trying to explain away his thoughts and reasoning, that Ruri stood up and wrapped her arms around him. He looked down after being stunned for a few moments, seeing the smile practically beaming on her face. It was rare, such a rare feat to see and more so – because of _him_.

“I’d love to!”

Another thing to add to the list of interests aside from her long, troublesome hair and cooking.


End file.
